Filling in the Blanks: Secrets of the Nile
by KimmyD
Summary: My version of how this book should've ended. Pure and unadulterated FN fluff. Completely posted and final update on 31607.
1. Chapter 1

**Filling in the Blanks - Secrets of the Nile**

_Author's Note: So, I know it's been a really long time since I've posted anything on here, either in this series, or my other one. I sincerely apologize. It's never my intention to start something and not finish it. However real life has a way of upsetting to apple cart and taking my focus off of writing. I try to accomplish my goals of working on these pieces, but it's not always possible. This one, I began a little over a year ago, along with a piece on Shockwaves, and a full on Secrets of the Nile. This is just a snap shot of the ending, what I wanted to happen after the end of the book. _

_This story picks up at the infamous scene and continues from there. Once again, I'm telling this story from Nancy's point of view. I find it easier to write as her, than about them, if that makes any sense. You'll get a glimpse at Frank's POV when I finish tweaking Shockwaves. It's much harder to write Frank's voice, than Nancy's.. but I hope I can do it justice. It's still giving me minor problems, which is why I'm posting this one instead. This one has been my baby, and I went through several different scenarios before deciding on this one. I hope you enjoy reading it, as much as I enjoyed writing it!_

_**Disclaimers: I don't own Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys. They belong to a powerful publishing house that I could never afford to meet in court. :) Now, on to the story...**_

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Frank touched my arm ever so slightly and pointed to the balcony. "Want to get a little air?

"That would be great," I told him.

The view from the balcony was breathtaking: the moon and stars, the twinkling lights of the Luxor, and the vast darkness of the desert beyond. There was a cool breeze, which made me shiver.

"Cold?" Frank asked, putting his arm around me.

"A little," I admitted. I nestled closer to him, enjoying his warmth. "You know, I'm really glad we caught Krieger and Mahfouz and found Darius and Leila, too. But I wish…" my voice drifted off wistfully.

"What?" Frank nudged me gently.

"I wish we didn't have to leave this place." I didn't want to tell him the real reason why – that I wasn't ready to say good-bye to the special fantasy we'd shared of being husband and wife.

He didn't say anything, but instead, turned me around so that I was facing him. He put his hands on my shoulders and gazed deeply into my eyes. I began trembling all over, and not from the cold. My thoughts were all in a torrent – all I could think about how desperately I wanted him to kiss me.

Then in a mad, heart stopping moment, he drew me closer and our lips met. The kiss seemed to go on forever. When I finally came to my senses and pulled away, I whispered, "Frank… that is, what I mean is… the case is over. We don't have to pretend we're a couple anymore."

Frank eyed me carefully. "I wasn't pretending," he said slowly. "Were you?"

How could I answer that? I looked down at my feet and took a deep breath. "No," I said finally. "I wasn't pretending, either." I looked up and met his gaze. "But we have to face reality, though. This relationship can't go anywhere. Ned and Callie are waiting for us back in the States."

Frank continued to stare at me for a long moment. I started to worry about his reaction when he spoke. "You're right, Nancy. As much as you mean to me, I'm in love with Callie."

"And I'm in love with Ned."

Just then Bess popped her head out the balcony doors. "Come on in, guys. Room service delivered all this fantastic food, and we're having a big celebration party - " then her hands flew to her lips. "Oops, am I interrupting something? Do I have bad timing or what? I'll go away, okay? Look, I'm gone." Her head disappeared and the doors closed quietly.

"Oh, boy," I chuckled. "She's going to grill me about this all night."

"And what are you going to tell her?' Frank asked.

I smiled up at him. "I'm going to tell her that you and I are friends – really great friends – and nothing more."

"Sounds good to me," Frank told me. He held out his arm. "Come on, Drew – how about we join the party? We've got a lot of celebrating to do?"

I grinned and took his arm. "You've got it, Hardy."

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Later that evening, Bess and I were getting ready for bed and I stood in front of the dresser mirror running a brush through my long hair. Bess had just climbed into the bed when she looked over at me, "So, is Frank a good kisser?" she teased.

I momentarily stopped brushing my hair as I stood there in shock at her question. Regaining my composure, I turned to face her. "Excuse me?" I asked incredulously.

"You heard me," Bess smiled. "I know I interrupted something earlier, and I'm sorry about that by the way."

"You didn't interrupt anything, Bess," I insisted, returning to my task at hand.

"You still didn't answer the question, Nancy."

I sighed, setting the brush down on the dresser. I knew that Bess wasn't going to let up until I told her what really happened out there on the balcony. I walked over to the edge of the bed and plopped down next to her. "The best," I whispered with a grin.

Bess let out a small squeal. "I knew it!" she exclaimed. "Details, Nancy. Details!"

"There's really nothing to tell, Bess. We… we just got caught up in the fantasy for a moment, that's all," I insisted.

"You two have been looking rather cozy all week," she observed. "It probably wasn't much of a stretch."

"Bess, it's not like that. Frank and I are just great friends. Really great friends, and well… we crossed a line we shouldn't have." 'More times than we should have,' I added silently to myself.

"Just really great friends don't kiss practically every time they see each other," Bess smiled.

"Once, Bess," I lied. "And you witnessed the tail end of it."

Bess stared me up and down. "I can't believe my best friend is lying to me," she said, shaking her head.

Raising my eyebrows at her, I asked. "Why do you think I'm lying to you?"

"Because you are," Bess began. "You never said anything, but you know as well as I do that something happened during that avalanche at Mt. Mirage."

I looked away, not wanting to meet her gaze, which of course, gave me a way.

"I knew it!" she laughed. Bess raised one eyebrow, "So you don't deny kissing Frank when you two got snowed in on the mountain?"

"We thought it as a life or death situation," I protested weakly.

"Nancy, really!" Bess admonished. "Has there ever been a life or death situation the two of didn't manage to escape from?"

My cheeks reddened in embarrassment, as I recalled getting caught by the owner of the cabin, Pete. "It wasn't like that, Bess."

Bess eyed me carefully. "If I ask you a question – will you give me an honest answer?"

I bit my lip not liking where this was going one bit. "Sure," I finally admitted. Maybe being honest with Bess would help me come to grips with what was going on between me and Frank.

"If Ned and Callie weren't factors, would you want to be with Frank?" she asked gently.

I sighed audibly. "That's the problem, Bess. They are factors, so I can't let myself think about what things would be like if they weren't."

"But yet you two can't seem to stay away from each other, even though there are other factors," Bess pointed out.

I ran my hands over my weary face. "I know," I responded honestly. "It's like we have some weird magnetic pull that keeps bringing us together."

Bess laid a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I didn't mean to upset you, Nan," she apologized. "But whatever you and Frank have going on, you two need to figure it out. You're not being fair to the other people involved."

I let out a small snort at her comment. "We got the same advice from Joe on the beach that morning."

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Bess grinned, "but he's right. For once." Her smile slowly disappeared, and she regarded me cautiously. "What is your heart telling you, Nan?"

I sighed once more as I glanced about the room, looking for something to distract me. "I wish it was that easy, Bess," I answered finally. "But unfortunately my heart and head are stuck in this awful tug of war with one another."

"I didn't ask you what you thought… I asked what your heart was saying," Bess prompted.

"Right now it's about to pound out of my chest," I laughed, trying to break the tension that was mounting inside me.

At Bess's silence, I closed my eyes, not wanting to meet hers, and whispered, "Frank."

At my softly spoken announcement, Bess clapped her hands together excitedly. "Now we're finally getting somewhere," she grinned.

My eyes flew open and I shook my head at my friend's antics. "Once again, it's not that easy," I insisted.

"Why not?" she asked simply.

"Because," I pouted like a petulant child. "How do I know that's what he wants, for starters? And secondly, I do love Ned. And I know he loves Callie. How could we do this to them?"

"First off," Bess began, "you're the not the detective you think you are if you can't see the way that Frank looks at you. When you two are together, no one else even exists! And secondly, I know that you're in love with Ned, and he's in love with Callie, but I also think on some level you two are in love with each other – you just are both too damn stubborn to admit it."

I let Bess's words sink in as she continued on, "Besides, if you really do love Ned, letting him go when he's truly not the one you want to be with, is the right thing to do, and you know it."

I stood up quickly and picked my robe up off my bed. "I need some air," I informed her and quickly stepped out into the living room.

"Nancy!" I heard Bess yell, as I rushed passed a confused Joe, who was raiding the left over room service. I quickly let my self out onto the balcony and gulped in the cool night air.

"What was that all about?" Joe asked, walking over to Bess.

Bess sighed, and was about to reply when the door to the boy's bedroom open.

"Everything okay out here?" Frank asked.

Joe shrugged. "Beats me. I'm just as lost as you are."

Bess emerged from the confines of the bedroom and placed a hand on Frank's arm. "Go talk to her, Frank."

"What's wrong?" immediate concern played across his face, and he stared anxiously out towards the balcony.

Bess gave Frank a pointed look and replied, "The two of you need to talk."

"About?" Frank replied, still confused.

Rolling her eyes at Frank words, she replied, "The two of you are so dense sometimes it really scares me. You're the detective, what do you think is the problem?"

Frank opened his mouth to form a quick comeback, and quickly snapped it shut when the meaning behind Bess's words sunk in. "But I thought….she's the one that…." His voice trailed off, as he glanced over at Nancy's lithe silhouette illuminated on the balcony.

"Somebody want to fill me in?" Joe pouted to the two standing in front of him.

Ignoring Joe's outburst, she continued speaking to Frank. "That's the problem," Bess said gently. "You both have been thinking way too much. There comes a time when you should listen to your heart instead of your head."

Frank nodded silently and took a deep breath. He squared his shoulders and headed for the glass door that led to the balcony.

"Spill it, Marvin," Joe demanded as soon as his brother closed the door behind him.

"C'mon," Bess said, grabbing Joe's hand and dragging him into the girl's room. "Let's give them some privacy. I promise I'll fill you in on everything I know, but they don't need an audience right now."


	2. Chapter 2: The Conversation

Filling in the Blanks – Chapter Two (The Coversation)

I stared silently out over the railing. The view was still breathtaking, no matter how many times I gazed at the vista in front of me. The moon and stars seemed to shine brighter out here, in a stark contrast the vast darkness of the desert off in the distance.

I pulled my silk robe tighter to my body as my mind was lost in thought. Bess was right, no matter how much I wanted to deny it. Had it really only been a few hours ago that Frank and I stood out here and tried to convince each other that we were nothing more than great friends? He and I both knew better – we had played this game one too many times before.

I heard the balcony door open and soft footsteps made their quietly up behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know it was him. "Hi," I whispered, keeping my back to him.

"Hi," he responded just as quietly. "Can't sleep either, huh?" he asked, gently placing his hands on my shoulders.

"Not really," I responded, even though I knew he already knew the answer.

His arms encircled my waist and he hugged me to him tightly. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling. I interlocked my fingers with his and we stood there silently, for what seemed like eternity.

Frank was the first one to break the silence. "I thought we weren't pretending anymore?" he asked softly, toying with the ring that was still on my finger.

I bit my lip, wondering if I should really say what I was thinking. Deciding to get it off of my chest once and for all I retorted with a sigh, "When are we _not_ pretending, Frank?"

Frank matched my sigh with one of his own at my words. "You're right," he admitted honestly. His breath tickled my ear as he leaned closer to me. "Tell me what you want," he whispered.

I shivered involuntarily as I listened to his words. "I don't know," I admitted.

"You told me once before that you didn't want to think," he reminded me. "You just wanted to enjoy."

"That was different," I protested weakly.

"Why?" Frank countered.

"Because," I insisted.

Frank rolled his eyes at my childlike answer and gave me one of his own. "Because why?" he pressed.

"Because I just don't know how much longer I can keep on pretending – we can keep pretending," I corrected.

"Then let's put a stop to it," Frank said. "I'm as tired of this charade as you are, Nan." He turned me to face him and softly caressed my cheek. "I'm tired of every time I see you not being able to do what I want."

My breath quickened in my throat. "What do you want to do?" I whispered.

"This," he said emphatically as he drew me close to him and pressed his lips to mine.

When we finally parted for air, I gave him a soft smile and opened my mouth to speak. Before I could say a word, he placed a finger against my lips and silenced me.

"Don't," he implored me. His deep brown eyes searched mine in the darkness. "No more pretending – not tonight. We can sort it out tomorrow, but tonight…let's just be true to ourselves for once."

"You make it sound so easy," I whispered.

"It can be for once," he insisted. He interlaced his fingers with mine, and twirled the weddings set on my left hand once more. "According to the Egyptian government, we're still Cole and Rebecca Addison. We've been more like ourselves pretending to be them, than we ever have before."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. On some crazy level, I knew he was at least partially right. But would one more night as Cole and Rebecca change who we were as Frank and Nancy? Would this give me more clarity into our convoluted situation, or make it that much more of a murky mess?

"Cole and Rebecca seemed to be the perfect pair – maybe Nancy and Frank would be, too," he whispered as he caressed my cheek.

Before I could loose myself completely in his words and smoldering eyes, I turned away. I put some much needed distance in between us and moved to the corner of the balcony, once again staring out at the dark horizon.

Frank didn't come after me. I heard him sighing in defeat, as he sat down in the wicker chair. "I'm sorry," he said after a moment. "I shouldn't have pressed you."

I stared out over the railing as his words played over and over again in my mind. _'Cole and Rebecca seemed to be the perfect pair, maybe Nancy and Frank would be, too.' 'We've been more like ourselves pretending to be them than we ever have before.' _

Was it really that simple? I wondered. Was the charade we were playing not a fantasy, but closer to reality than we wanted to admit?

I finally turned around to face him, but I stayed with my back to the railing. "I do like the thought of us, Frank." My eyes connected with his, when he lifted his head in surprise at the feeling behind my words.

Frank slowly rose from the chair. "Nan?" he prompted hopefully.

It was at that moment I decided to throw caution to the wind. I was going to live by the words I had said to him in New York. I didn't want to think, I just wanted to enjoy. I strode across the balcony, closing the gap between us. I glanced up at his hopeful expression and gave him a dazzling smile. "Yes, Cole, darling?"

(not the end...:) )


	3. Chapter 3

_Authors Note:_

_ Sorry about the delay, guys. You wouldn't believe the last 3 weeks that I had even if I told you. Let's just say it involves a crazy psycho roommate, filing an Injunction of Protection (restraining order), and a court date. :) I'm fine - I wasn't physically harmed in any way shape or form, but the situation has taken a lot of time and energy to resolve. _

_Special thanks to my wonderful beta, Lightwarai. You're a complete nit pick with punctuation and grammar, and I appreciate it. :) Thanks for seeing everything that I didn't._

_One or two more small chapters after this one, and we're done. This is a small update, but it's the best place to make the break. Sorry._

_FYI -- this is STILL pure unadulterated fluff, based on the popular Secrets of the Nile SuperMystery. If the idea of reading one author's idea of a take on a classic ND/HB story bothers you - don't read any further and keep your comments to yourself:)_

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Frank slowly returned my smile. His lips closed in, crashing down to mine. Hs hands roamed over my back through the silk robe and I melted willingly into his embrace. I returned his kiss with equal passion and we stayed locked together until I shivered involuntarily at the cool breeze washing over us.

"Wow," I whispered, slightly out of breath, when we finally parted.

"Yeah…wow," Frank echoed, his forehead pressed against mine.

"Just for the record," I began, "that wasn't pretend."

He brushed a wind blown piece of hair off of my forehead. "I hope not," he smiled softly. "If it was, you deserve an Oscar for that performance."

My cheeks reddened. "I think we'd both go home with the statue." I shivered once more as the breeze swept over me again.

Frank motioned to the suite. "Do you want to go back inside?"

I shook my head no. As crazy as it was, the balcony held a certain magic and romance for me and I didn't want to break that spell just yet. "Just keep me warm."

"I think I can do that," he grinned. He momentarily disappeared back into the room, and returned with a chenille throw. Crossing the balcony, Frank took my hand in his and led me a few steps over to the chaise lounge. He took the seat first then pulled me down to him. I settled in between his legs, with my back to his chest. He wrapped his arms around me from behind and adjusted the throw over me.

"Better?" he asked, his breath warm on my ear.

"Much," I whispered, nestling into the warmth of his strong arms. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and savored the feeling of relaxing in his embrace. I promised him I wasn't going to think, I was just going to enjoy, and that's exactly what I was doing.

When I opened my eyes, I looked up at the dark sky above us. The stars were sparkling like diamonds against black velvet. "The stars out here are amazing, aren't they?" I commented.

"They are," Frank agreed. He pointed across me to the right. "See Orion's belt?"

I nodded when my eyes found the alignment he was referring to in the sky.

"In ancient Egypt, that constellation represented Osiris, the god of rebirth and afterlife," Frank informed me.

Frank's vast knowledge on an array of topics never ceased to amaze me. "You're just a wealth of knowledge, aren't you? I'm impressed," I admitted.

"You should be," he replied. "Now that you're my wife, I have to do things to impress you." His hands found mine underneath the throw and he twisted the diamond on my left hand once more.

Just like the last time he uttered similar words, my breath caught in my throat and my mouth felt like cotton. But this time, I turned my head and gave Frank a soft kiss.

"I like this ending much better," he smiled.

"Me, too," I concurred. I eyed him quizzically. "When we were in the club that night, and you said you had been doing some thinking – what did you mean?'

Frank sighed. "Honestly, I had been thinking about Reynaud's comment. Calling you my girlfriend made me think what it would be like if you really were."

"And… ?" I pressed gently, giving him an encouraging smile.

Frank's dark brown eyes stared straight into my blue ones. "I liked the thought of us." He softly caressed my cheek. "And I still do. But I'd much rather it be reality than just an idea."

I liked this new, honest and bold Frank. It seemed as if he was just as tired of pretending as I was, and was laying it all on the line. Could I be as honest with him as he was being with me? Before I could form a reply, he spoke again.

"So, your turn. What changed your mind after our first chat out here tonight?" he asked pointedly.

I chuckled slightly as the conversation I had with Bess replayed in my mind. "Bess did. She kind of strong armed me into admitting what I really wanted."

"Remind me to thank her," Frank said, his eyes twinkling. "So, this…" he whispered, gently nuzzling my neck, "is this what you want?"

His question hung in the air as I tried to come up with an answer. "I can't think when you do that," I murmured.

Frank ignored my weak protest and continued pressing kisses down my neck. "No thinking," he reminded me in between kisses.

My eyes closed again and I savored the sensation. My heart was pounding, overriding nearly all coherent thought. I wasn't thinking anymore, I was just feeling. For the second time tonight, one soft word was all I needed to say "Yes."

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The rattling of the doorknob awoke me from my peaceful slumber. Opening my eyes in confusion, I briefly glanced around the pitch black hotel room until I realized just where I was - nestled warmly in Frank's arms.

"Frank," I whispered, jostling him out of his sleep.

"Hmm… what?" he asked, barely opening his eyes.

Before I could answer, I heard Joe knocking on the door. "Frank, open up. It's late and I want to go to sleep." he called out.

"That's what," I replied.

"Crap," he muttered, echoing my sentiments.

"We're busted," I informed him.

"Busted doing what?" Frank questioned. "We fell asleep watching that movie."

I raised an eyebrow, "Do you recall which movie?" I grinned as the memories of the last few hours we spent talking, kissing, and cuddling raced through my mind. "Because I don't think we really watched much of it."

"No, we didn't," he grinned, brushing a soft kiss against my lips. "Let him sleep on the couch."

"And have to explain in the morning?" I teased.

Peppering my throat with feather soft kisses, he murmured against my neck, "Talking, movie, sleep. Easy explanation."

I closed my eyes and sighed. It had felt wonderful both falling asleep and waking up in Frank's arms. "Okay," I agreed. "We didn't hear him knocking."

Frank grinned. "I like how you think."

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_To be continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: So a few notes about this chapter and story in general. This is the last chapter. I never planned on this being a long story, but rather a snapshot of one potentially life changing evening in the lives of our favorite characters. _

_There's some interesting dynamics in Frank and Nancy's relationship and I've tried to capture the pure, raw emotions that they have been battling during their trip to Egypt, and the entire time they've known each other. They're confused, those two. And they're tired… tired of pretending and tired of fighting against the pull of the current that draws them together. _

_They have to make some difficult choices. They can't stay in the little fantasy world they've created. Maybe one day I will follow up with the aftermath of their decisions, but for right now, the story ends here._

_Enjoy… _

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The shrill ringing of the telephone startled me awake. Why do people have to keep waking me up? I thought as I rolled over and noticed that Frank hadn't even stirred at the offending noise. Groaning, I reached over him and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" I answered sleepily.

"May I speak to Frank, please?" a chirpy female voice came from the other end.

"Just a second," I responded, still in my half asleep haze. I laid the phone down on its side on the nightstand, and shook Frank's shoulder "Frank." No answer. "Frank," I tried once more. "Frank Hardy, wake up," I insisted.

His eyelids fluttered open and he looked at me with sleep filled eyes. "What is it, Nan?"

"The phone," I replied, placing my head on his chest. "It's for you," I mumbled.

"Who is it?" he asked, rubbing my shoulder, as I tried to fall back asleep.

"I don't know, and I don't care. I just want to go back to sleep," I replied, irritated.

Frank chuckled softly in the darkness. He dropped a quick kiss on my forehead. "Go back to sleep, cranky."

I felt him reach over and pick up the phone. "Hello?" he answered. "What?" I heard him say. "Callie, it's…" at the mention of her name, my eyes flew open immediately. "Yeah, we need to talk. But not right now, it's 4 in the morning over here."

I slowly moved away from Frank and stood up. I grabbed my robe off the floor and hastily put it on. I felt Frank reach for my hand, and I shook my head. "Talk to her," I whispered, feeling my heart break.

Frank pleaded with me to stay with his eyes, but I shook my head and escaped into the adjoining bathroom.

I braced myself against the bathroom counter as I caught snippets of the conversation in the other room.

"Callie," he said, firmer this time. "Listen to me…… No……. Callie, quit…… Can I please say something?"

I swallowed nervously as I listened to his end of the conversation. I could only imagine the earful he was getting on the other end. My heart pounded erratically as I wondered what she was saying.

His tone softened dramatically and I had to strain to hear what he was saying. "Look, Cal. I… I'm sorry, but there's no easy way to say this. And I wish that this wasn't happening this way, but ……... Yeah," he sighed. "I am……Callie don't, please…… Yeah, I think I do…… I'm sorry, the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you……I know…… Okay. I'll do that…… Are you going to be okay?... I'm sorry, I truly am….. Okay….. Bye."

Tears filled my eyes as I heard the phone click. 'He did it, he really did it,' I thought. Suddenly, the situation became so much more real. There was another girl halfway across the world crying her eyes out at that very same moment, over the man in the other room.

A soft tapping on the bathroom door interrupted my thoughts. The door creaked open and Frank poked his head inside. "Hey," he whispered, regarding me carefully.

"Hi," I responded softly.

Stepping into the bathroom fully he stood in front of me and brushed a tear off of my cheek. "Making one woman cry tonight is bad enough, don't you start, too," Frank joked lightly, attempting to relieve the tension in the room.

I managed a smile. "Sorry," I apologized. "It's all just kind of hitting me, you know?"

Frank raised his eyebrows at my statement, but didn't say anything.

"This is real. You and me," I pointed to him and then back to myself.

"I hope so," he smiled gently. "Otherwise this is one dream I don't want to ever wake up from."

I threw my arms around his neck and inhaled his scent. "I'm sorry she had to find out this way," I murmured into his chest.

"Me, too," he sighed with regret evident in his voice. He lifted my chin with his finger, and looked me square in the eyes. "But don't think for one minute that I regret what happened tonight."

"Never even crossed my mind," I assured him. Now that Frank had ended things with Callie, I knew what I had to do. "It's what – 10 pm in the States right now?"

Confusion etched across Frank's face. "I think so. Why?"

I took a deep breath as I pulled back from his embrace. "I… I need to make a phone call."

Realizing what I meant, Frank nodded and moved his hands from my waist to my arms. He placed a quick kiss on top of my head, before stepping back. "Use the phone in the bedroom. Come out to the balcony when you're done."

I nodded silently and then turned and walked out into the darkened bedroom. I sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the phone's handset, which felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.

A sliver of light invaded the darkness when Frank opened the bedroom door. He turned back and gave me a comforting smile before shutting the door. When I heard the familiar click, I began to dial the all too familiar number.

On the fifth ring, just as I was beginning to lose my courage, Ned's voice echoed through the phone. "Hello?"

I struggled for a moment to find my voice. Finally, the words came. "Hi, Ned."

"Nancy! I'm so glad you called." He sounded so happy to hear from me, and it killed me to know that happy was the last thing he was going to be when our conversation was over.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and took a calming breath. This was going to be one of the hardest things I had ever done, but I didn't have a choice. My mind was made up. Ned was a great guy, but he just wasn't the one great guy for me. I couldn't fight the truth anymore.

"Nan? Are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," I replied softly. Steeling myself I began the hardest conversation of my life. "Ned, we… uh… we need to talk."

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With watery red eyes, and a matching ruddy nose, I opened the door of the bedroom. I made my way across the dark living room and to the balcony door. The cool night air made contact with my skin, and I welcomed the relief.

Frank sprang up from his seat when he heard the heard the door slide open. He regarded me carefully, making note of the red eyes and nose. "How did it go?" was all he said.

"Absolutely awful," I said in a broken voice. Before the tears could start, he stepped forward and enveloped me in his arms.

He silently stroked my hair. It had a reassuring effect on me, and after a few moments, I was calm once more.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Frank took my hand and led me across the balcony to the chair he had previously occupied. He took the seat, then gently pulled me into his lap. He wrapped his arms around me, and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"It was brutal," I said. "He…he didn't take it to well, to say the least."

"Neither did Callie." Frank sighed. "And just like us, you guys were together a long time," Frank reminded me.

"I know. It's not like I expected it to go well." I sighed deeply before continuing. "It was so hard, Frank. I hated hurting him like that."

Frank gave my leg a comforting squeeze. I closed my eyes and silently recalled the conversation.

"_I'm sorry, Ned," I began softly. "I just can't do this anymore." _

"_What?" came Ned's shocked reply. "Nancy, what is going on?"_

_ I sighed deeply before answering, "Ned, I just… I just can't." _

_ The line was eerily silent, as I waited for Ned's response. "Ned?" I said hesitantly. I was unsure if he didn't know what to say, or if he had hung up on me. _

_ When he finally spoke, his voice was like steel. "It's Frank, isn't it?" Ned asked coldly._

_ I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before whispering my answer. "Yes."_

"_Damnit, Nancy!" he swore. "You promised me that the two of you were just friends, and that I had nothing to worry about. Now you're breaking up with me to be with him? Just how long has this been going on?"_

"_Ned, Frank and I have been friends for years. Close friends, but just friends." Although I wanted to be completely honest with him, I couldn't tell him about the past. I couldn't twist the knife and hurt him anymore than I already was. "I don't know what happened… but something changed on this trip, and I can't lie to myself or you anymore." Or Frank, I added silently._

"Nan?"

"Sorry." I ran my hands wearily over my face to rid myself of the offending thoughts. When I opened my eyes again, I looked off into the distance and saw the faint traces of orange and pink on the horizon. A new day was dawning, and so was a new relationship. A small smile crossed my face as I turned to look at Frank. "We're really doing this, huh?"

"Having second thoughts, Drew?" Frank teased.

I shook my head emphatically no. "After what it took for us to get here?" I laughed lightly. "Nope. You're stuck with me, now, Hardy."

Frank reached up and stroked my face. Before claiming my lips with his own, he stated simply, "And there's no place else I'd rather be."


End file.
